Andre the Giant

by Michael Krugman

  Hogan tags Bigelow, who goes to work on DiBiase, whipping him into the corner for a clothesline. DiBiase falls and bounces to where his head is on the mat and his boot is on the top rope. Bigelow presses him up and slams him down. He attempts a headbutt off the ropes, but Virgil trips him up. DiBiase takes advantage by dropping elbows into the back of the fallen Bam Bam’s head. DiBiase goes up top, but Bigelow catches him and slams him. Tag to Hogan.

  DiBiase begs off, but Hogan shakes his fist and attacks with a boot. He takes DiBiase’s head and runs him across the ring, pummeling him into the buckle. As DiBiase reels, Hogan hits André with a forearm, felling the Giant with an arm tied up in the ropes. A big boot and a legdrop from the Hulkster finishes the match at 7:59. André charges in, but Bigelow chases him off wielding Humperdinck’s cane. The heels run off. Hogan pulls in two steel chairs, stands up on them, and gestures to his waist that he is the true champion.

  “In my book,” Lord Alfred says, “he’s still the world’s greatest athlete.”

  TED DIBIASE: “Quite frankly, because of the pain that André was in, I was the guy that had to create the action in the match. There were times when we would walk to the ring and André would keep his hand on my shoulder. The appearance was, well, this is my partner, he’s towering over me and we’re walking to the ring together. But what he was really doing was steadying himself. I was his crutch. I would go in the ring and do all the selling and the bump-taking to create the excitement in the match. I’d give André the appropriate tags, but they’d always take the falls on me.”

  The outrageous happenings at The Main Event threw World Wrestling Federation into total mayhem. In addition to ordering an immediate investigation of the affair, President Jack Tunney officially vacated the world title—the first time there was no World Wrestling Federation Champion since Buddy Rogers won the title in 1962. To resolve the matter, Tunney commissioned the company’s first-ever championship tournament, to be held, of course, at the upcoming WrestleMania IV.

  June 1988

  “DAVE HEBNER’S SHADOW: AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT”

  On the night of February 5, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, Earl Hebner, wearing referee’s garb, entered through a side door and waited for a signal from DiBiase. In the dressing room, Dave was removing his shirt from a supply closet. Slam! Virgil closed and locked the door, imprisoning Dave inside.

  As Hogan and André battled in the ring, with Earl officiating, Dave pounded on the sealed door. By the time he got someone’s attention and was released, it was too late. Earl had done his dirty work, ignoring a Hogan pin of André and counting out Hogan even though his shoulder was off the mat.

  [Jack Tunney] had no choice but to let the decision stand. Even though Dave had been slated to officiate, it turns out Earl is licensed as a referee in the state of Indiana, so his decision was official—and final.

  February 13, 1988

  WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION PRESIDENT JACK TUNNEY

  MAKES HIS ANNOUNCEMENT

  February 5, 1988 will go down in World Wrestling Federation history as a day of infamy. Never before has there been such controversy to surround a World Wrestling Federation Championship match. Despite having viewed, time and again, videotapes of the Hogan-André match, the decision of the referee is as always, unfortunately, final. Therefore Hulk Hogan is not the World Wrestling Federation Champion. However, it clearly states in the rulebook, that in order for a wrestler to be deemed champion, he must either pin the reigning titleholder or make him submit. That is the only way a wrestler can become champion.

  Therefore, unequivocably [sic] I can state that Ted DiBiase is also not the World Wrestling Federation Champion. Furthermore, it also clearly states in the rulebook that a reigning champion may at any time in his tenure end his reign by publicly surrendering the title, which is exactly what happened when André the Giant presented the championship belt to Ted DiBiase. Therefore, André is also not the champion either.

  It is my decision that to be fair to the last two reigning champions of record, Hogan and André, and to furthermore be fair with the number-one contenders who would have faced either André or Hogan as champion, I now declare the title vacant, and this vacancy to be filled on March 27 of this year during WrestleMania IV, in the form of the first ever World Wrestling Federation Championship tournament.

  In this championship tournament, the last two title holders of record, Hogan and André, will justifiably be given a bye for the first round of competition. They will not compete in the first round, but will face each other in the opening of the second round of the tournament. The pairings have been completed for the first round of the competition, and they include Jake “The Snake” Roberts meeting “Ravishing” Rick Rude; Don “The Rock” Muraco taking on Dino Bravo; Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will wrestle Greg “The Hammer” Valentine; Randy “Macho Man” Savage goes against “The Natural” Butch Reed; Bam Bigelow against the One Man Gang; and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan will take on the “Million Dollar Man,” Ted DiBiase.

  It is my sincere wish that all of the participating wrestlers in this historic tournament, and more importantly, all of the fans of World Wrestling Federation, construe my decision as the only just and fair way to determine who will be the new undisputed World Wrestling Federation Champion. Thank you.

  April 1988

  “A TALK WITH JACK TUNNEY”

  Question: You headed the investigation that resulted in findings ruling against André’s action. Apparently, the rulebook says that a champion can publicly surrender his title, but that a title cannot be obtained by any other process than winning it in the ring. If the rules were in the book, why was an investigation needed?

  Tunney: I certainly knew about the rules. . . . But this was a highly unusual situation. Nothing like it had ever happened before. I asked for an investigation because of the complexity of the issue; and because it was so earth-shaking. After all, the most important athletic title in the world was involved.

  The process took time and money. We hired several top attorneys as consultants. I suspected that if the final decision went against him, Mr. DiBiase would not take it well. He supposedly spent a fortune to purchase André the Giant’s contract from Bobby Heenan. And it was for nothing. . . . DiBiase may disagree, but the world at large knows we acted in the only way we could. There was no choice.

  Question: But André the Giant did not know of the rule. Why didn’t you just ask him to recant his surrender of the title and give it back to him?

  Tunney: We couldn’t if the rule was to be obeyed as written. It says that once the title is surrendered, it no longer belongs to the man who gave it up. Our hands were tied. We had to leave the title vacant.

  Question: Why didn’t you simply arrange for a rematch between Hulk Hogan and André ...rather than scheduling the tournament that will take place at WrestleMania IV?

  Tunney: We decided that, in the spirit of fair competition, we should give Hogan and André a chance to regain the title and at the same time open it up to other deserving athletes. We didn’t cut out Hogan and André. We have given them the same chance as everyone else. No, let me rephrase that. We have given them a better chance because they have a bye in the first round of the tournament. I have heard André and DiBiase complain, but Hogan agreed that the next champion should prove he deserves the title by winning a tournament, not just one match.

  April 1988

  “WRESTLER’S REBUTTAL: I WAS CHEATED!”

  by Ted Dibiase

  I am the rightful World Champion. I was given the title by André the Giant. I own André the Giant. So I owned the title too. . . . The title was André’s. He could do anything he wanted with it. He gave it to me. I am the uncrowned champion.

  André worked only sporadically in the weeks after The Main Event, usually pairing with DiBiase to do battle with the team of Hogan & Bam Bam Bigelow. Though his wrestling ability was in decline, the Giant’s awesome presence ensured his place at the forefront
of the World Wrestling Federation’s build toward WrestleMania IV.

  Much of the next year’s storyline was foreshadowed on the March 12 installment of Saturday Night’s Main Event. DiBiase defeated Randy “Macho Man” Savage via countout, largely due to André’s show-stealing interference.

  The Giant’s constant intrusions throughout the match led Savage’s manager, the lovely Miss Elizabeth, to leave her ringside position and flee to the locker room. After the bell, as André and DiBiase double-teamed the fallen Macho Man, she returned with help in the form of Hulk Hogan. The champ ran into the ring wielding a steel chair, sending the heels scurrying.

  March 27, 1988: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ

  WRESTLEMANIA IV

  The Pay-Per-View begins as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous host Robin Leach reads a “Special Proclamation” to introduce the “Battle for the Belt” Championship Tournament: “Whereas World Wrestling Federation has experienced certain extraordinary circumstances concerning the championship, and whereas World Wrestling Federation sought to establish a fair and just way to diligently determine who should be the undisputed champion, and whereas WrestleMania IV has been selected as the specific site to determine who will be the undisputed champion by way of an elimination championship tournament, and whereas the top fourteen competitors in World Wrestling Federation have been selected and paired and are present and in readiness to compete, I now proclaim that the Championship Tournament should begin. With champagne wishes and caviar dreams, may the best man win! I’m Robin Leach, and I do know why.”

  Gorilla Monsoon explains the tourney rules: “First round has a fifteen-minute time limit, second round has twenty-minute time limit, third round has thirty-minute limit, and no limit in the final round.”

  In the first first-round match, Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil and André) takes on “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. “André doesn’t have to face Hogan until the first match of the second round, so...,” Jesse Ventura explains. The announcers ponder the possibility of DiBiase meeting André in the final round.

  DiBiase and Duggan trade punches to start, but Hacksaw catches DiBiase and hits an atomic drop that sends the Million Dollar Man over the top rope. Back in, they lock up and DiBiase strikes back, raking Duggan’s face, then hitting chops and punches. He shoots him into the ropes, but Duggan ducks the elbow and comes back with a clothesline that has DiBiase going down and bouncing over via his head. Hacksaw gets DiBiase trapped against the turnbuckles and climbs to the second rope to hit ten punches. André yells up at the ref. Hacksaw throws DiBiase across the ring to the opposite corner and tries a tackle, but the Million Dollar Man gets a boot up. DiBiase smashes Duggan’s head into the top buckle and hits forearms to the sternum. He whips him into the corner and lands a stiff lariat. DiBiase stomps Duggan before climbing to the second rope for an elbow drop. Duggan goes down, and DiBiase drops a fist right between the eyes. He rolls Duggan over to cover, but Hacksaw kicks out at two.

  Toe-to-toe, Duggan throws shots at DiBiase, who responds with a rake that sends Hacksaw to the ropes. DiBiase whips Duggan into the ropes, but Hacksaw reverses the backdrop attempt into a sunset flip. The ref counts to two, but the Million Dollar Man claps Duggan’s ears with his boots to break it up.

  DiBiase whips him into another lariat and fistdrop combination. Duggan’s mouth is busted open. The Million Dollar Man tries for a suplex, but Hacksaw holds on and reverses it for a suplex of his own. DiBiase goes to the second rope and jumps off, only to receive a fist to the belly that somersaults him over. He backs up in a corner and begs off as Duggan approaches. Hacksaw attacks and shoots him across the ring for a clothesline. He whips the Million Dollar Man into ropes, catches him in a bodyslam, and calls for his three-point-stance finishing tackle. He drops into position, but from outside, André yanks his leg out from under him. Duggan turns and tries to grab at André through the ropes. DiBiase comes up from behind and drives a knee into his lower back, while André punches him from the other side. Duggan goes down; DiBiase drops a fist, hooks a leg, and scores the pinfall at 5:02. Hacksaw chases the heels out of the ring with his two-by-four.

  Later, Mean Gene interviews Hogan. “Over the last couple of months it has been very difficult for me to introduce this man without using ‘World Wrestling Federation Champion’ Hulk Hogan. Here at WrestleMania IV, this afternoon, you’ve got the opportunity to change that.”

  “Oh yeah, it’s been hard to live with, man. Fee-fi-fo-fum, André, one long year and your time has come, man. No marks, no scars, no blemishes on the Hulkster, brother. But inside, man, I’ve been scarred for one long year. Everywhere I go, man, all the little Hulksters ask me, ‘Is there any truth to the fact that there was a controversial count? Hulkster, did you really get him over your head? Did you really beat the Giant?’

  “Well, today, man, in WrestleMania IV, we’re gonna wipe all that controversy out. André the Giant, in the second round, when you’re fresh as a daisy, with the whole world watching, I’m gonna prove, brother, that I can beat you anywhere, anytime. And all my Hulkamaniacs, they’re gonna feel it too.”

  “Speaking of the Hulkamaniacs, Hulk Hogan, we have seen them here in Atlantic City, and I know millions others are watching very intently all around the world.”

  “Yeah, but if you looked in their eyes, man, have you seen the fear in all those little Hulksters? They realize that when I get André the Giant cinched up in the launch position, when I slam him through the Trump Plaza, brother, from New York down to Tampa, Florida, the fault line is gonna break off. And as André the Giant falls into the ocean, as my next two opponents fall to the ocean floor and I pin ’em, so will Donald Trump and all the Hulkamaniacs. But as Donald Trump hangs on to the top of the Trump Plaza, with his family under his other arm, as they sink to the bottom of the sea, thank God Donald Trump’s a Hulkamaniac, he’ll know enough to let go of his materialistic possessions, hang on to the wife and kids, dogpaddle with his life all the way to safety. But Donald, if something happens, you run outta gas, and all those little Hulkamaniacs run outta gas, just hang on to the largest back in the world, and I’ll dogpaddle us, backstroke all of us to safety!”

  Hogan poses and backstrokes out of the camera.

  • • •

  Bob Uecker is looking for Special Guest Timekeeper Vanna White but is surprised by André’s large mitt on his shoulder. “Hi, André, hey, my good buddy—”

  “Vanna, you get me. You get the Giant, the only professional wrestler who’s still undefeated. And Hulk Hogan, I’m proud to be it ’cause now Ted DiBiase is on his way up. That’s what he paid me for, to keep you out of the tournament, Hogan, and you are. And I know one thing, and that’s what the people gonna know too, and that’s what they gonna remember—you are the ex-champion, Hogan, ha ha ha haha!”

  “Well, there ya have it. I still haven’t found Vanna White—”

  “He is the ex-champion. Don’t worry about Vanna White. Now, Hulk Hogan, Hulkamania is over! Ha ha hahaaaaa!”

  “How about getting your foot off my shoulder?”

  Rather, André wraps both hands around Mr. Baseball’s throat— “Shut up, okay?”—and just as suddenly, smiles wide and leaves.

  “Escorted by the bodyguard Virgil and the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase, from Grenoble in the French Alps, weighing 520 pounds—”

  “Largest professional athlete in the world today,” notes Gorilla.

  “—André the Giant!”

  André and his entourage walk to the ring, barraged by boos.

  “Too many people out there at ringside for my money,” says Gorilla. “When you start bringing two or three people down to ringside with you, I dunno, that’s a little bit of an edge as far as I’m concerned.”

  André steps over the top rope, unfazed by the crowd’s heat. He’s equally unconcerned when “Real American” hits the sound system and Hulk Hogan emerges. The crowd, obviously, erupts. He gets halfway down the long aisle, and then runs to the ring. Hogan slides under the ropes, only to be gre
eted by a kick from the Giant. He gets up and takes a headbutt as Joey Marella clears DiBiase and Virgil from the ring.

  André is pummeling Hogan when the bell rings. A big headbutt downs Hogan, but André brings him to the corner for a turnbuckle smash. A chop and a shot to the ear puts Hogan—still wearing his T-shirt—on one knee. More chops and a headbutt send Hogan into the ropes. He comes off with a flying forearm, but André is barely stunned. Hogan bounces back and hits another to little effect. A third forearm drives the Giant backward into the ropes. Meanwhile, Hulk sees DiBiase up on the apron. He goes over and wraps his hands around the Million Dollar Man’s neck, throttling him. André comes over to make the save, but Hogan elbows him in the gut and hits the heels with a noggin knocker.

  DiBiase goes to the floor, and Hogan starts chopping at the Giant. At last, André falls, tying his arms in the ropes. With André trapped, Hogan can—finally—tear off his shirt. The crowd, needless to say, explodes. Behind Hogan’s back, Virgil and DiBiase frantically try to free André’s arms.

  André is loose, and Hogan lets fly with rights. The Giant is shaky, but doesn’t go down. He slingshots off the ropes for more impact, but the Giant stands tall, if a bit wobbly. Frustrated, he goes back to the ropes, but André has finally dropped down on his back. Hogan drops an elbow on the prone Giant, and another, and another. He covers, but André catches him in a chokehold.

  The roles have reversed—André is holding Hogan down, a big mitt on the Hulkster’s throat. The ref breaks it up, so André drops a headbutt into Hogan’s sternum. Hogan is under the ropes, so André steadies himself and does the big ass splash. He kicks Hogan in the head and then walks to the other side of the ring, shaking the cobwebs out of his head. Focused, he returns and picks up Hogan with his hands around the Hulkster’s traps. He breaks at the count of four, and then resumes. André staggers Hogan with a reverse knife edge to break things up a bit, and then back to the choke.